Miami Circle FAQs

Miami Circle is a program run by the Office of Undergraduate Admission that engages alumni and parent volunteers in recruitment efforts across the United States and around the world. This program allows volunteers to share their stories and experiences with prospective students and their families at events in your area. Through the efforts of our Miami Circle members, the Office of Admission is able to extend its reach to meet students across the world. 

Miami Circle members must be alumni or parents of current or past UM undergraduates. An understanding of or willingness to learn about UM’s unique undergraduate experience and admission process is required. 

The admission process is dynamic and cyclical; depending on your interests and the needs of the Office of Undergraduate Admission, you may be contacted at any time during the year, though most activities will take place from September – April. 

Much of the success of the Miami Circle program depends on having a reliable group of volunteers ready. As our network grows and evolves, opportunities for volunteers will expand. If you have not been contacted, this means there are no upcoming events in your area. For a comprehensive list of upcoming events, check out our Miami Circle page.

If you know of upcoming college fairs in your area, feel free to forward information to miamicircle@miami.edu. Please remember, all attendance at college fairs or other events on behalf of UM must be approved and arranged through the Office of Undergraduate Admission.

Thank you for keeping us up to date! You can update your contact information, request a name tag, or register as a member via our online form.

When you hear this question, you can refer students to the list of academic majors on the back of the travel brochure. If students are asking very specific questions related to a major, feel free to direct them to our Majors page (miami.edu/majors), where they can find more information.

UM uses a holistic review process, meaning that every aspect of a student’s application is considered, including: Common Application, Letters of Recommendation, High School Transcripts, and Standardized Test Scores.

It is important to explain that the evaluation of applications is a comprehensive and holistic review process. There is no minimum standardized test score or grade point average to be considered for admission. Feel free to direct students to our Class Profile (miami.edu/classprofile) page for an overview of the typical academic achievement and a sense of our competitiveness.

Yes, UM awards merit scholarships to incoming undergraduate students based on their academic achievements regardless of their citizenship. There is no separate application required; applicants are automatically considered for an academic scholarship when they apply for admission to UM.  

The criteria for awarding scholarships are based on a comprehensive review of the applicant pool each year. Feel free to direct them to our Scholarships page (miami.edu/scholarships), where they can view our different academic scholarships.

The on-campus cost of attendance for the 2021-2022 academic year is $75,230, which includes student tuition ($53,112), fees ($1,648), on-campus housing and meals ($15,880), and additional estimated allowances for books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses ($4,590).

Feel free to also elaborate on your experiences and the value of a UM education. 

All non-local first-year students are required to live on campus. Local first-year students who plan to live off-campus must complete the Live-On Requirement Exemption form at miami.edu/housingexemption.

In order for first-year student housing to be guaranteed, first-year students admitted for the fall semester should apply for housing by the priority deadline of May 15. Housing applications received after the priority deadline are accepted on a space-available basis. 

First-year students admitted for the spring semester can apply for housing using the spring-only housing application available in CaneLink beginning in late October. Spring housing applications are due December 1. Housing applications received after that date are accepted on a space-available basis.

While first-year students are not allowed to have cars on campus, the University offers numerous transportation options including but not limited to Zipcars, carpooling, bicycling, on-campus shuttles, Metrobus, and Tri-Rail.

Unless otherwise noted, we offer information sessions and student-led walking tours Monday through Friday. Saturday information sessions and tours are available on select weekends throughout the year. There are also many open houses each year for prospective and admitted students. Students and their families can see our campus visit schedule and register online on our Visit page (miami.edu/visit).

Yes, students are able to apply to the University as undecided. Students must declare a major by the end of their sophomore year. By that time, students should have taken a few preliminary courses in a field that interests them.

UM’s framework for general education is nontraditional, as our Cognates Program aims to provide a broad array of intellectual and cultural exploration through the Areas of Knowledge. A cognate is a group of three courses that share a theme or focus determined by the faculty. To learn more, students should visit our Cognate Search Engine (cognates.miami.edu).

The average class size at UM is between 16 and 26 students.

There are currently over 300 registered student organizations. Therefore, whether students attend an on-campus play, put their diving skills to the test as a member of the scuba club, participate in a community service project, or help to plan Homecoming festivities, they are bound to find an organization that interests them or they can start it.

Our student organizations empower students to participate in and interact with a diverse and broad spectrum of backgrounds and interests while helping to shape the UM experience for yourself and others. 

Yes, UM currently boasts over 2,500 students in our 20 fraternities and sororities. Feel free to direct students to our Greek Life (miami.edu/greeklife) page for more information.

Yes, the Office of Study Abroad offers programs as short as one week and as long as an academic year that accommodates students in all disciplines. Currently, UM offers 80+ programs in more than 40 countries. You may study abroad on a faculty-led program, on a UM flagship program, or on a UM Partner Program. Feel free to direct students to our Study Abroad page (studyabroad.miami.edu) for more information. 

Students or their coaches should contact the appropriate coach at UM. The Hurricane Athletics department directory can be found at the official Hurricane Athletics website (miamihurricanes.com).

Yes, UM offers both an intramural and a club sports program. For more information, feel free to direct students to UM's Wellness & Recreation (miami.edu/wellness) site.